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<\/figure>\nRocky\u2019s 1st fan concert in Manila is one of the best kpop concerts I\u2019ve been to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for good reason which I will get into soon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But first let me preface by saying who would have thought I\u2019d get to see one of my favorite artists more than thrice this year?!\u00a0<\/p>\n
I say favorite because Rocky was part of Astro and Astro is my ultimate kpop group so in my heart he will always be part of Astro\u2019s history.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even saying that I went to his solo concert is something 2023 Izzy wouldn\u2019t have believed. When he\u2019d left Astro in 2023, there was no announcement as to what was next so we didn\u2019t know what the future held.<\/p>\n
As far as I\u2019d heard, he had left the entertainment industry completely, so to have him back as a solo artist and even coming back to perform with Astro on stage, is really just amazing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve completed so many things off my fangirl bucket list this year, which I never would have thought possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m going to get all emotional because really in 2023 when Moon Bin died, I almost quit fangirling completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But now, we\u2019re back\u2013and full force with so many events this year.
And for that I\u2019m so grateful for.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can remember the exact moment when they officially announced Rocky\u2019s 1st fan con in Manila.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was with my Aroha besties in Incheon at a fried chicken restaurant. We had just finished watching the 2nd show of Astro Stargraphy. So we had just seen Rocky on stage a few minutes before, and then the announcement happened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Imagine how exciting this was \u2018cause what do you mean we\u2019d just seen him with Astro and now we\u2019d get another chance to see him on stage but this time in the Philippines?!\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the fan benefits..\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were amazing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s one of the reasons why Rocky\u2019s 1st fancon in Manila is one of the best kpop concerts I\u2019ve attended.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the day of ticket selling, I remember being so nervous because the ticket you get is dependent on luck and your internet speed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And in the past, especially with Seventeen ticketing, I\u2019d have a hard time.<\/p>\n
But with this concert, I got lucky. I entered the website without a queue number so I was able to get the front row, and the second seat from the aisle.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a dream seat?!\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was in disbelief but having that ticket made me so excited for the day to come.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n I got the Wish Package so that\u2019s the highest tier where the fan benefits include lanyard, souvenir card, 2 photocards, poster, sound check, 1:10 group photo, and then the hi bye. Aside from that, you could also win a 1:1 group photo with Rocky, a signed polaroid and signed poster.\u00a0<\/p>\n You could even record videos during sound check and hi-bye. These two things are usually not allowed by other Kpop entertainment groups.\u00a0<\/p>\n Just from those things, it would have already been worth it.. But!\u00a0<\/p>\n A few days before the concert, they announced a top-up benefit which is a guaranteed slot at fan sign.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s just another way of saying a meet and greet but you get a set amount of time to talk to him.<\/p>\n In the KPop world, fansigns are usually by lottery meaning you buy lots of albums to increase your chances of winning. You can talk to them anywhere between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n So to have a top up fansign where you get a guaranteed slot was a chance I wasn\u2019t passing up.\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course I bought the top-up and one thing nice was that we were also allowed to record our moment with Rocky. His only request was to have the phones at chest level so that he could see our eyes and not talk to us through our phone screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n I remember hesitating to buy a slot only because I was terrified. Every instance I\u2019d applied for a fan sign in the past was anxiety inducing.\u00a0<\/p>\n But I knew I would regret it if I didn\u2019t, so I ended up getting a slot and my queue number was 14.\u00a0<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t sure what I\u2019d tell him cause we only had 30 seconds but the only thing I knew I wanted to tell him about my book.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.izzymatias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/rocky-1st-fan-con-in-manila-photo.jpg\")
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